Air conditioned smokehouse



July 4, 1939.

A. s. KELLNER AIR CONDITIOED SMOKEHOUSE Filed April 27, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY ATTORNEY July 4, 1939- I A. s. KELLNER 2,165,057

AIR CONDITIONED SMOKEHOUSE 3,1 z/ ,30j .24 28a M E m' pj; g ATTQRNEY July 4, l\939. A. s; KELLNER 2,165,057

AIR -CONDITIONED SMOKEHOUS'E Filed April 27, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 al A 56 INVENTOR I AlxanderJe/aer ATTO'NEY Patented July 4, I1939 2,165,057 AIR ooNDITIoNED sMoKEnoUsE Alexanders. Kenner, New Yom-N. Y. Application April 27, 193s, serial No. 204,606

4 Claims.

. This invention relates to new and useful improvements in an air conditioned smoke house.

More specifically, the invention proposes -the Y construction of an air conditioned smoke house 5` for smoking meats and similar foods winch is constructed to be capable 0f directing smoke L more evenly throughout the entire 'capacity of the house for smoking the meats evenly on all sides.

Still further it is proposed to so. construct the revolving mechanism-for distributing 'the smoke so that the capacity of the house neednot be increased and still permit' it to have the same holding capacity.

- Still 4further it is proposed to so construct the smoke house that no heat need be .lost when the door 'is opened vfor the purpose of shifting the position of the meats, and thus obtain more even smoking. I

Still further it is proposed to characterize the revolving air conditioned smoke house by a hollow body for location beneath the conventional smoke house and which is provided with a smoke chamber having a hollow arm rotatively-supported thereon and which is adapted to be revolved for evenly distributing the smoke throughout Vtime entire interior of the smoke house. I For further comprehension of theinvention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will b e had tothe following description and 'accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

Fig.- 1 is a perspective view of a smoke house f constructed according to this invention.

I as Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 niustrannga modication of the air conditioning equipment.

' f Fg. 3 isa horizontal sectional view of Fig. 2

taken at the base of the smoke house.

Fig. fl is a front elevational view of a. portion of Fig.5 is a sectional 'on the line of.A

, o I. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detailed view of the ref volving` mechanism per Fig. 'l isa view similar to Fig. 4 illustratinga further modication'of they invention.

Fig. 'isa view similar to Fig.' 5 butiliustrating the modication of the invention shown in Fig. '7. Fig. 9 isa vertical sectional -view of a portion comme Fig. 10 `is .a plan view of the valve 'shown in Fig. 9. 1 i v ,Flg. 111s a -plan' view illustrating a. plurality or s moke houses constructed according to this Il invention. i

(C1. sis-259) Fig. i12 isa front view of Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. 11 but illustrating another Aapplication of thev invention.

The air conditioned smoke house comprises a hollow body for location .beneath a smoke house 5 Il). The smoke house is of conventional construction and no details thereof will-ibe given in this specification as it forms no part of the'invention. Thesmokechamber Il which is located beneath the smokehouse I0 may be` located with- 10 in' an iron pit as shown in Fig. 2, or it may rest directly upon the floor supporting the smoke house I0. A portion'of the mechanism .for affecting the airconditioning of the ,smoke house is located on the outer wall o'f the hollow body l5 Il. 'I'he hollow body, II may be formed with an 'extension as shownV in Fig. 2 for the purpose of covering'the same. This extension may be covered upon its top sideby means of a grate I2 'hingedly supported upon the front wall of the 20 l extension for permitting the grate' to.be movedto a position in which it will be extended away from the open side so as to permit the air conditioning mechanism to be lubricated.

A smoke chamber I3 is locatedvwithin the hol- 5- l`ow body 'I I" and rests directly upon the bottom of the iron pit thereof and is adapted to havevcombustible materials placed therein which are capable of producing a dense smoke when burning. A gas supply I4 is provided and is connected by 30 means' of a branch line I4 with the'interior-of the smoke chmber'l3 for assisting in producing the smoke. Branch lines IIb extend tol the interior ofthe hollow body l|-( see Fig. 5) for supplying heat to the interior of the smoke, house II A34,5`

for assisting inY the smoking process.`

A draft control is provided :forv the smoke chamber I il` and consists of a door I5 which is -hingedly supported at one of -its ends by means of a hinge I6 upon. the front wall of the smoke 40 chamber.l A lock element I1 is pivotally supported at one of its ends upon the door I5 and is adapted to be engaged into brackets I8 one of 'which' 1s attached to the door. 1s. vand the other Y of which is attached to 'the front wall of the 46 smoke chamber I3. When -the lock element I1 is engaged intothe brackets I8 'the doorv I5 is vin a position in which it closes the front opening of the smoke chamber. The draft"mecha, nism is applied directly tothe door I5 and con-y 50 'sists of a plate I9 slidably supported in tracks 2li securely attached to the front face of the door I6. Openings 2l are formed in theplate I9 and complementary openings 2l',Y are formed inthe front face of the door I5. The openings 55.

2| are adapted to be aligned with the openings 2|' for permitting the air to' pass therethrough to provide a draft for assisting in burning of the combustible-material placed into the smokev chamber I3.

Y A means is provided for aligning and disaligning the openings 2| and 2|' and consists of a handle 22 which is fxedly mounted intermediate of its ends upon a portion of the hollow body II and which is pivotally connected at its bottom end with a horizontal connecting rod 23. The free end of the connecting rod is bifurcated and has a pin 24 `extending between the arms thereof. This pin 24 is adapted to be engaged into a U-shaped slot 25 formed in a bracket 26 securely attached to the front face of the plate I9. When the pin 24 is engaged in the U-shaped slot 25 and the handle 22 is p ivoted, the position of the plate I9 will be shifted for aligning and disaligning the openings 2| and 2|'.

its center with a bearing 281i forrotatively sus.

pending the arm 21 above the smoke chamber I3.` The smoke chamber is formed at its top with van opening I3 and an extension member 29 is mounted on the top Wall of the smoke chamber I3 and extendsaround the opening I38L and into a complementary bottom opening vformed on the bottom face of the arm 21. The arm 21 may be of a single or multiple construction, and the arms 21n thereof are of diiierent lengths for evenly distributing the smoke throughout the smoke house I0. I

' A weight 30 is'attached to a portion of the shorter of the two armsand ls adapted to counter-balance the weight of the longer arm for causing Vthe arm 21 to be evenly suspended from the supportjrod 28. Coneshaped caps 3| vare normally inverted and ,have their apexes inserted into the open end .of the arms andl are xedly held in position by means of brackets 32. These cone shaped caps are adapted to function as containers for catching the grease which 'drops from the meats and for breaking up the column of smoke emanating from the alrm 21a for assisting the arms in more evenly distributing they smoke. y

A means is providedfor rotating the arm 21 and comprises a large bevel gear 33 Awhich is Iixedly attached to that -portion of the arm 21 which mommy engages the bearing 2a. 'shaft .34 is normally supportedat one ofits ends in a bearing .35 formed on the support rod 28 adjacent the bearing 28. This rod 34 extends through the front wall ofthe hollow body II.

The inner end of the rod 34 is formed with a small bevel pinion-36 which engages the large bevel gear 33. At its front end the rod. 34 is formed with a large. gearx31 which vengages a complementary worm gear 38 which is fixedI to' tached u` the from; race of the holiovirv body When it is desired to open tliedoor` I5 the "horizontal Il.` When the motor 40 is turning over the rotations therefrom willbe transmitted to the large bevel gear 33 through the medium of the shaft the top` wall of the smoke chamber I3 and is adapted to be" extended across the` opening I3al for preventing the smoke from entering the arm 21 when it is so desired. When it is believed that the meats contained within the smoke house have been sufciently smoked and it is desired to stop the smoke from entering the arm 21, the butterfly valve may be rotated\to a position in which it will close the opening |33. The shaft 43 which rotatively supports the butterfly valve 42 extends through the front wall of the hollow body II and is formed at its front end with a 'handle 44 by which it may be rotated for controlling theposition of the valve 42. The handle is provided with openings 44' for turning the same with a suitable tool.

A means is provided for driving the smoke out l of the smoke house when the butterily valve 42 is in its'closed position and comprises a blower A 45 which is supported upon the bracket 4I adjacentv the motor 40 which is directly connected lWith the iron pit II for pumping freshair into the smoke house after the butterily valve 42 has been closed. This blower l45 is connected to the other end of the shaft 39 of the motor 40 and a clutch mechanism 46 is interposed Ybetween the blower 45 and the motor, 40 for controlling the operation of the same. A handle 41 is pivotally supported intermediate of its ends and vengages the clutch mechanism 46 for engaging and dis-v engaging the same to cause the blower 4 5 to operate when desired. .l If desired a suitable crank mechanism may be supplied in place of the motor 40 for rotating material is placed therein and the gas burners Thejburner I4a willassist Y the combustible material in producing the smoke,

|48" and I4b are llt.

and the'burner I4"C will supply heat to the smoke house I0 for assisting in the smoking process.'

After the combustible material has' started to biirnthe plate I9 is shifted to align the openings 2| and 2| to the desired degree for providing'4 l a suiiicient draft to the combustible material for keeping it burning.

The motor 4 0 is then rotated and the rotations therefrom will be transmitted to the large gear 33 through the medium of therod 34 and its associated parts for causing 'the arm 21 to rotate. Smoke emanating from the smoke chamber I3 through theopening- I3a will pass through the arms 21n and into the smokehouse I0. Fromthe arm'21 the smoke will,;be evenly distributed throughout the interior ofthe smoke house I Il for evenly and consistently smoking 'the meats.

.The cone shaped caps 3| will act to --catch the lgreases dropping from the meats and break up the column of smoke coming. from the arms 21k to assist the revolving motion in properly distributing the same.

After the meats have been properly s yinokedy the handle 4421s rotated into the proper direction for closing the butterfly lvalve 42 to prevent the smoke from emanating 4from the smoke chamber I3. The handle 41 is then pivoted to close the clutch 46 and cause the blower'45 to operate. This blower will drive the smoke from the smoke house and iill the same with fresh air so that the operator may enter the smoke house for removing the meats if they have been properly smoked. Y

According to the modification shownain Figs. '7, 8 and 9 and 10, a slightly dierent means is provided for revolving the arm 21, but in other respects this form' of the invention is similar to f that previously described.

This new mechanism for revolving the arm 21 comprises a large ring gear 48which is xedly attached to a downwardly extending portion formed on the arm 21 and which engages over the upwardly extending portion 29 attached to the top of the smoke chamber I3. .A'rod 49 is rotatively supported at its inner end upon a bracket 56 attachedto the top wall of the smoke cham.

ber I3.. At its inner end the rod 50 is formed with a Worm gear 5I which engages the ring gear 48. At its outer end the rod 49 is formed with a large bevel gear 52 which meshes with a complementary bevel gear 53 fixedly attached to the extended shaft 54 of a lmotor 40'. This motor 40' is supported upon a bracket 4I attached to the front face of the hollow body II. When the motor 40' is rotated its rotations will be transmitted to the ring gear 48 through the rod 49 and its associated mechanism for rotating the arm 21 to evenly distribute the smoke throughout the smoke house II). According lto the modification shown in Figs. 1l and l12 a plurality of smoke housesV I0 are ar@ ranged one adjacent the other and eachof the smoke houses is provided with an air conditioning mechanism. A single motor 55 is provided for controlling the operation of each of the air conditioning mechanisms.' The shaft 56 of the motor 55 extends from one end thereof and a sprocket 51 is fixedly attached to the shaft 56. A long shaft 58 extends across the entire length of the smoke houses III' and is provided at its end adjacent the jmotor 55 with a sprocket 59. A chain 6II engages the sprockets 51 and 59 lfor transmitting the rotations of the motor 55 to the shaft 58. The front of each of the hollow bodies mounted beneath thersmoke houses I' is formed with a gear box 6I,'a blower 62 and a blower control clutch 62. 'I'he gearbox is formed with a large gear 63 which meshes with a worm 64 attached to theshaft 58 for transmitting the rotations of the motor 55 to the arm 21 located within the hollow body for rotating the same.

The shaft 58 separate sections. Clutches 65 are provided between the adjacent ends of the shaft sections and when these clutches are engaged, the entire shaft 58will rotate for rotatirg each of the arms located at the bottom of the smoke houses IIl'. 'Ihe smoke houses I8' are formed with a conveying pipe 66- forNcarrying the smoke into4 each of the armoire houses lo'. A butternyl valve 42 is located within the conveying pipe 66 at the pointof connection between the pipe and the separate smoke chambers for controlling the column of smoke supplied thereto.

The smoke houses I0 and a smoke chamber 69 are positioned in the ground land the control members arecovered by a suitable grating I2 through which the control leversl 22', 41' and 65 project above the grating I2 so that they may be s manipulated above` the-said grating. similar to the control levers illustrated in Fig. 2.

bers.

is yconstructed f-romaplurality of A portion of smoke chamber 68 is above the floor line 8 I' and the door l5 for feeding the smoke chamber 69 is also above'the floor line. In addition to the upper door I', additional doors 82 are providedfor smoke -chamber 69, in the iron pit. I l

A master valve 61 is mounted on a transverse rod 68 in the pipe 66, between. the iirst smoke house I0 and a smoke chamber 69.` 'I'his butterily valve 61 is controlled by a suitable handle 'III to control the supply of smoke into eachof the houses I0'. At the one end, the conveying pipe 66 is provided with a mechanism for drawing the smoke from the smoke chamber 69.

This latter mechanism comprises a blower 1I which is rotatively supported ina bracket 12 by means of'a shaft 13.` A sprocket 14 is iixedly attached to the shaft `I3 and a similar sprocket 15 is fixed to theextended end of the motor shaft 56. A chain 18 extends between the sprockets 14 and for rotating the fan 1.'I to blow the smoke into the smoke houses I8' when the butterfly valves I vious form.

According to the modification shown in Fig. 13 the motor 55 'is directly connected to thesuction fan 1I and the shaft 58 for rotating these mem- This is accomplished by arranging the motor 55' with its shaft 56 extending at right angles to the shaft 13 of the fan 1I and at right angles to the shaft 58. Coacting gears 11 and 18 are provided for rotating the shaft 58. Coactlng gears 19 and 80 are provided for rotating the fan 1I. In other respects this form of the invention is similar to that disclosed relative to Fig, 11.

While I have illustrated 'and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understoo-d that I donot limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is'reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as de ned in the appended claims.

Having thusl described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States ALetters Patent isz- 1. An air conditioned s moke house, comprising a hollow body for location beneath a smoke house, a smoke chamber within s aid body, a gas supply to said hollow body and to said snoke chamber, a doorto give access. to said smoke chamber, a draft control for said smokechamber, a hollow arm rotatively supportedabove said smoke chamber to move across the bottom of said smoke house and having a discharge opening for the smoke, a connection for the passage .of smoke from said smoke chamber into said hollow arm, a valve for controlling the passage of smoke through said hollow arm, and means for .rotating said hollow arm, said hollowarm being of -a multiple construction and each of :its arms being of a diiferent length for e'venly distributing said smoke.

2'. Anl air conditioned smoke house, comprising a hollow body for location beneath a ysmoke house,

a smoke chamber Vwithin said body, lagas supply -to said hollow body and to said smoke chamber, a door to give access to Y said smoke chamber, a

draft control for said smoke 4rchamber, ahollow arm rotatively supportedabofve said smoke chamber to move across the'bottom of 'saidsmoke.

hous'eand having a dischargeopening for the smoke, a connection for the passage 'oi' smoke from said smoke chamber into said hollow arm, a valve for controlling the passage of smoke 'loA 4 Y through said hollow arm, and means for rotating said hollow arm, said hollow arm being of a multiple construction and each'of its arms being rotatively supported above saidsmoke chamber of a different length for evenly distributing said smoke, said arm being rotatlvely supported at the bottom of said smoke house and at the center thereof, and means fqr counter-balancing 'said arm to compensate for the weight of the longer arms.

3. An air conditioned smoke house, comprising a hollow body for'location beneath a smoke house, a smoke chamber within said body, a gas supply to said hollowbody and to said smoke chamber, a door to give access to said smoke chamber, a. draft control for said smoke chamber, a hollow arm the top wall of said smoke chamber, an extension attached to said top Vwall andextending around said opening, ya complementary extension formed on the bottom of said arm and engaging over the arcanes? other of said extensions for conveying said smoke from said smoke chamber to said arm, said means for controlling the passage of smoke through said hollow arm comprising a butterfly Valve rotatively supported across said opening in said smoke chamber, a means on the front of said hollow body for rotating said butterfly valve for opening and closing theL same, means for driving the smoke from said smoke house when said buttery valve is in the closed position, Isaid means. comprising a motor, a blower connected with said motor and directly withsaid smoke chamber for blowing the smoke from said smoke chamber, and a clutch mechanism inserted between said blower and said motor for controlling the operation of said blower. f

4. An air conditionedlsmokel house, comprising a hollow body for location beneath a smoke house, a smoke chamber within said body, a hollow arm rotatively supported above said smoke chamber to move across the bottom of said smoke houseand having ya. Vdischarge opening for said smoke, and means for rotating said arm, said arm being of a multiple construction consisting of av long arm Iand a Weighted short armior evenly distributing' the sirioke throughout the entire inside of said smoke house. ALEXANDER S. KELLNER. 

